𝔻𝕚𝕕 𝕀 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕍𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕊𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕥 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕚𝕩?
They call it "the city of dreams" for a good reason. In Night City you can be anything you want, do anything you want, have everything you want. Money, fame, power. If you are born on the right side of the road.
But for those crawling out of dark, hidden, smelly alleys, there are no warm hugs and plush unicorns. It still remains the city of dreams, but of those are broken, trampled and crumpled.
If you are born on the wrong side of the road you will have to walk uphill for the rest of your life, because in most of cases, your birth was a terrible mistake made by someone who came before you and which you must try to remedy.
Or, as in the case of our history, by a series of unfortunate events and interlinked errors.
𝕀'𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕒 𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕠𝕣.
"Have you heard?"
"What?"
"She's back!"
"Who?"
"Vanilla, the jinxed girl!"
"SSST!! Are you insane?! Wanna make her hear you? She's Vinx now, stop calling her like that!"
"Oh, you're right. Sorry."
The blue-haired girl passed them silently, absorbed in her own thoughts. If she had heard their gossip she didn't make it clear, but she's used to certain rumors and most of the time she didn't even notice. She continued walking steadily towards the back door of the Coyote Cojo, the only entrance she has ever really used since she was a child. She threw a half-smoked cigarette on the floor and went inside, leaving the buzz of the alleys outside the door.
"So...?"
"She returned from Atlanta a few weeks ago and seems to have kept a low profile. A few jobs here and there, but little stuff, nothing more."
"What does she have in mind? Will she still have that crazy plan to blow up the city?"
"Oh, c'mon! It was a child's thing! You say so many things when you are little, she didn't really believe that!"
"Are you sure? Her gaze thought differently..."
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕡 𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗𝕗.
Once inside the pub she immediately sought her contact and she was not surprised to find him locked in the bathroom, hiding like a mouse.
"What is it? Are you afraid to be seen in my company?"
"You know that caution is never too much with you, Vinx!"
"Call me V."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's talk business!"
"You have what I asked for?"
"Yes, but it wasn't easy to find, it's a VERY hot information... the bastard has the back covered by a powerful corporation, and this has raised..." - He did not have time to finish the sentence that was slammed violently against the wall, with the girl's forearm pressed against his throat. - "Hey! Take it easy, girl! Even if I wanted to, I couldn't satisfy you anyway, I don't have the data with me"
"W-what?! Are you stupid, or something? Who the fuck goes to a negotiation without the goods!"
"It's not that simple. What you are looking for is on a computer on the Maelstrom network, protected by their firewall. I have spread the word that you are looking for it, it may be easier for you to approach..."
"Wait... you did what?!? Okay, you're clearly out of your mind. So, now I'll have all the f*ckin' Maelstroms in town with breath on my neck!! You s*cker!" - Everything went black in her mind as anger took over. A fight ensued, and the bastard even managed to punch to her right on her nose, before going to sleep.
𝕀𝕟𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕖. 𝔼𝕩𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕖. 𝔽𝕚𝕩 𝕚𝕥 𝕦𝕡.
V looked at herself in the mirror, the hands still trembling. Her nose hurt like hell and it was already starting to swell.
That wasn't how it was supposed to go, but apparently, no matter how far you run, you can never get away from yourself. Wherever you go, the past will always know how to reach you. Going to Atlanta had done no good, except to waste two years of her life.
"I need a drink" she told herself, pulling herself up to get out of that stinking hole, climbing over the body of the man passed out on the ground.
𝔸 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕.
As she approached the counter, she felt much more relieved and even allowed herself a half smile when the familiar face of the bartender greeted her cheerfully "Hola V!"
"Hi Pepe! Give me something strong."
(ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵒˡˡᵒʷⁱⁿᵍ ᵈⁱᵃˡᵒᵍᵘᵉ ⁱˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗʳᵃⁿˢᶜʳⁱᵖᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒⁿᵉ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍᵃᵐᵉ, ᵖᵃʳᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵗʳᵉᵉᵗ ᵏⁱᵈ ⁱⁿᵗʳᵒ. ⁿᵒᵗ ᵐʸ ʷᵒʳᵈˢ)
"Everything chill, hermana?"
"Some bastard tried to mug me, I handled it."
"Who? Local guy?"
"You really think somebody local'd tried to mug me, Pepe?"
"Listen V, I got a problem... Serious this time."
"C'mon, spit it! What is it now?"
"It's, uh, Kirk... I've owe 'im. Don't pay by tomorrow, said he'd bust my legs. An' he don't joke about that stuff. Got cartels in his corner."
"You in it with Kirk?! Every man, woman and rat in Heywood knows he's a f*uckin' shark!"
"My bro jumped the joint, deserved a hero's welcome... I know I fuck up V."
"Ugh, you ever gonna get wise, Pepe? Least tell me you're brother is doing alright."
"Ah, doing his things, you know. So, can you help me?"
"I'll talk to Kirk. But then you're gonna owe me one."
"And you're savin' my life V. Truly."
ℍ𝕖𝕪 𝕂𝕚𝕣𝕜, 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜!
She found the shark at a table in the corner, upstairs, guarded by his huge bodyguard. Her first instinct was to jump around his neck and use him as a punching bag, but she sought a more diplomatic way, to try not to cause further trouble for Pepe.
They came to an agreement fairly quickly. Too fast for her taste. The job smelled like bad cheese, but Pepe is a friend, almost a family member, even though she has never had a real family. He saw her grow up, happily frolic among the Coyote's stools as if life could still smile at her.
So, yeah, it was worth the risk.
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